Come Home
by sshownut
Summary: the gang try to find Haley after she has been missing for two weeks. Romance and drama... Read and Reviews please! First OTH story:)
1. Default Chapter

Peyton brushed her soft blonde curls and tied it up in a high ponytail. It has been exactly two weeks since she has gotten suspended from Tree Hill. It wasn't her fault she wanted to stand up for what she believed in. The last two weeks went by fast considering the fact that she was missing a lot of school.

_FLASHBACK:_

_Peyton stood standing there and saw Jake walking slowly towards her. He hadn't seen the cocaine and so he didn't understand why she was talking with an older guy so secretly. Peyton was so relieved to see Jake again. She had been thinking about him a lot lately._

_"Jake." Peyton voice was a lot quieter than she had intended it to be. "How have you been?"_

_"Good, confused…lonely." Jake looked down nervously. Peyton decided to walk with him and so they talked and walked all night long. He told her all about Jenny and how she is being taken care of by his mother and Peyton told him about being suspended. Jake dropped Peyton back home around twelve at night and that was the last she saw of him but he promised he would be in touch._

_The next week went by even faster because her dad came home and was throwing many business parties, none of which Peyton had enjoyed. Peyton was running around helping him set up the parties and so it took a lot of time and energy. The school had phoned and told her that she could come back and Peyton was relieved. She didn't mean to get in that much trouble. She saw Anna a couple of times but tried to ignore her. Anna was so fake towards Peyton, she would only be her friend in private and when it came to school she would completely ignore her. Not a real friend to Peyton and she had Haley and Brooke and so she certainly didn't need a fake friend to ruin her reputation. _

END FLASHBACK

Peyton walked into the school she hardly knew anymore and when she first looked at it, it looked the same. She casually looked down when she passed by the principal. Walking into the cafeteria, things had changed a lot. Brooke and Felix were flirting by her locker and Lukas was watching looking depressed. Nathan was talking to Tim and Haley was nowhere to be seen. Peyton walked up to Lukas.

"Lukas, I'm back. I just wanted to apologize for that day, when you came over to my place and I was a total jerk to you. I'm really sorry and I do want us to be friends." Peyton mumbled and looked at Lukas who was half paying attention to her.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever. We're friends." Lukas was still staring at Brooke and Felix. Nathan walked up to her and gave her a big bear hug.

"Peyton. I really need to talk to you." Nathan looked hurt and as if he hadn't slept in days. His eyes were still a beautiful blue but there were dark circles under them and his hair was tossed and he was frowning which Nathan hardly ever did.

"Sure Nathan. What is it?"

"It's Haley. She left me." Peyton's jaw dropped about five inches. She hadn't seen Haley around but she had never expected this.

"What?" Peyton tried to think of what to say but that was all that came out of her mouth. Nathan looked down and his eyes filled with tears and he pretended that something was in his eye. She could see right through him. The bell rang and everyone around her got their books and headed off to class, Nathan stood there trying to compose himself. "When's the last you heard from her?"

"Um… about two weeks ago." Nathan said and coughed as if to clear his throat. "Look, Peyton I just want to know she's okay. I don't care if she leaves me and that she hates me… the most important thing is that she's safe and happy." Peyton took a deep breath and nodded her head.

"What do you want me to do? Call her?" Nathan looked at her with those beautiful blue eyes and then looked down.

"Um… do whatever you think you should do. I don't know anymore. She wouldn't answer her phone but maybe she just didn't want to talk to me. Peyt, you have to believe me… I would never hurt her and if anyone tried to hurt her, I just…" Nathan trailed off and Peyton didn't know what he was getting at.

"Nathan, go home. Get some rest. I'll find Haley and bring her home."


	2. The Phone Call

Her soft brown wavy hair was scattered everywhere. Her head was pounding like you wouldn't believe. She slowly arose in that dark cold room. She didn't have any idea where she was or how she got there. She was dressed in the same clothes but something was different, she felt different. Haley looked around squinting her eyes so tightly to try to focus on the room. She was on a cold concrete gray floor and was scared and tired.

_Where am I? _Haley thought.

_FLASHBACK:_

_"Haley… you're here. I knew you would come." It was the one guy who had made her think twice about Nathan, Chris. This couldn't happen because Haley knew that she loved Nathan and that these feelings would just have to go away._

_"Um… actually I'm leaving. I just came to say goodbye."_

_"What? You can't leave me!"_

_"You never had me! I'm sorry but I love my husband."_

_"You're coming with me." He grabbed her arm and twisted it and she screamed but he whispered in her ear "make a scene and I'll break your husband."_

_"Okay okay. Just let me go." Haley whispered back getting a little more aggressive. The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the plane and praying for someone to find her. Why had she gone to the airport in the first place? She felt so stupid._

_After getting off the plane, she tried to make a run for it but he grabbed her arm and that was the last thing she remembered._

_END FLASHBACK_

A light shone into the room and Haley was relieved to see something or someone. She could hear footsteps approaching her and finally she saw it, the man that had put her through all of this… she came face to face with Chris.

At school, Brooke wasn't notified about the missing Haley but she really couldn't care less. She finally had a boyfriend, not a friend with benefits… no this was a real boyfriend. To be honest Brooke had liked Felix since the first time he started swimming in her pool! And her pool was better than his. Felix had always had a crush on Brooke and now that he knew her, he liked her even more.

"What sounds better? Brooke and Felix? Or Felix and Brooke?"

"Um… isn't it the same thing?"

"No. Not at all. Completely different. I need to know how to introduce us to my friends, Felix and Brooke or Brooke and Felix. This is important."

"I think Felix and Brooke." Felix said half-heartedly.

"Don't just settle, this is a big deal. Are you sure you want your name to go first?" Brooke was completely serious about this whole thing. They were sitting down in the busy cafeteria at lunch and were completely giggly and smiley and oblivious to the world around them.

"Hey Brooke. We need to talk." Lukas gladly interrupted the happy couple.

"Sorry Lukas. I'm in the middle of something very important."

"More important than Haley missing?"

"What?" Brooke stood up and yelled. Lukas tried to hush her because she was causing a scene. "What are you talking about? Haley's missing? Well where is she?"

"That's what we don't know. Look, you're either going to help us find her or not."

"Yeah. I'll help." Brooke ran off with Lukas and left Felix distraught.

At Nathan's apartment, Peyton, Lukas, Brooke and Nathan were sitting down on the couch.

"I tried calling her cell ten times. I tried to contact her parents but I have had no luck." Peyton said with tears in her eyes. They started to pour down her cheeks and once she started, Brooke started.

"What are we going to do?" Nathan asked. He looked more concerned than sad. Lukas was still in shock, his best friend was missing.

"I don't know. Somehow we have to find Haley. Do you know why she didn't come back home?"

"Well, we got in a fight."

"About what?" Brooke asked curiously. Nathan stood there shrugging and mumbled something that nobody could hear. "What was that?"

"Chris." He groaned and Peyton gasped as if she had an idea.

"Chris always had a thing for Haley and she snuck out to see him that time… do you think they could be together?" Peyton was excited about her theory but everyone just shrugged.

"I don't think so. It's not like she liked him. She promised me she would stay away from him, so she would stay away from him." Nathan said. Lukas wasn't so sure.

"Maybe we should check it out just in case. Come on Peyton. Nathan, you and Brooke stay here and keep on trying to call her." Lukas and Peyton ran off to find Chris.

"So what now?" Nathan asked Brooke. The two just looked into space. Just then, the phone rang. They both ran up and Nathan got it.

"Hello?" It was a faint, distant voice… Nathan could hardly hear it. "Nathan?" It was Haley.


	3. Haley

"Haley!" Nathan practically shouted into the phone. Then there was dead silence and a click. She had hung up. "Shit!" Nathan muttered out loud to himself. Brooke looked at his face turn from color to white.

"Nathan… was that Haley?"

"Yeah. She hung up before I got to say anything. We have to call this police because this is a lot more serious than Haley running away."  
"What are you saying?"

"I think Haley has been captured." The next ten minutes were spent with the two frantically re-telling the story to the police over and over again. Peyton and Lukas returned shortly after.

"Okay, so you're saying we can't do anything until she calls again?" Peyton sounded frustrated and tired of hearing that she couldn't do anything to help her friend. The police officer nodded and started hooking up machine to every phone in the house which could track down any caller if they stayed on the line for thirty seconds. Everyone was silently praying for the phone did but after an hour they had lost hope.

"Well, I don't think she will be calling back for a while." The officer said. He started to stand up and gathering his belongings.

"Sir, you can't leave us now! We have no idea where my wife is!" Nathan shouted at the police officer.

"There's nothing we can do unless she calls and I don't think that's going to happen." He shouted back and just then the phone rang. Everyone didn't move for a moment and finally Nathan answered it.

"Hello? Haley?"

"Nathan… it's me." Haley was whispering, Nathan was struggling to hear what she was saying.

"Where are you? Are you okay?" The police officer was telling him that he had to keep her on the phone for twenty more seconds and then they could track her down.

"I don't know where I am." A faint noise was in the background. "Oh no. Um… Nathan, help me. I don't know where I am."

"Haley, it's okay. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Um… I…" the phone reception started cutting out and Nathan couldn't hear what she was saying. Then he heard the worst sound in the world, a click. She hung up, he hung up the phone with despair and then the police officer smiled.

"She's in New York. Two blocks south of Central Perk at 123rd street and Oak. We'll send a team out immediately." The police officer called for back up and left the house in a hurry.

"Oh my God!" Peyton screamed. "We've found her!" She looked over at everyone else but they still seemed distraught. "What's the matter with you guys? We found Haley! Don't you guys care?"Then Nathan slowly looked up at her and slowly looked back down again and mumbled.

"We know where she is, but we haven't got her. I have a bad feeling about this."


	4. The split up

Peyton looked around the room. Everyone's heads were down and avoiding making eye contact with her. "I can't believe you guys." She stormed off and Lukas chased after her. It was freezing outside and she didn't even have a jacket but Lukas caught up with her fast enough.

"Peyton. Don't be like that. We're just all in shock right now." Lukas shrugged and tried to talk some sense into his optimistic friend.

"Don't be like what Luke? You all seem to care and yet nobody's happy they've found her."

"Maybe we just don't want to get our hopes up. You're going to be disappointed in the end when they can't find her." As he said the words he wanted so badly to take them back but he couldn't help it after they escaped his lips. He felt a hard slap across his cheek and didn't even flinch because he knew he deserved it. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say they can't find her. They will." Peyton started crying, her mascara softly running down her rosy cheeks. It wasn't very often she cried, she had been through a lot lately and she needed someone there for her.

"Don't cry Peyton. I'm sorry." Lukas held her tightly and saw Brooke coming out of the front door to check on her friend. They both smiled at each other and Brooke went back inside.

"Hey… what's the matter?" Lukas looked up and saw Jake. Peyton's face was still buried in Lukas' shirt but she quickly arose when she heard Jake's voice.

"Jake!" She ran up to him and they hugged. He held her for a long time and she was holding on to him for dear life.

"Hey… what's wrong? You alright?" She just kept on squeezing tightly.

"I will be. Haley's missing." Peyton said under her breath. It was so weird to explain it to someone new because the only people who ever talked about it was Nathan, Lukas and Brooke.

"Haley's missing?" Jake asked with his jaw dropping.

"Yes." Lukas walked up to him and looked down. "We called the police and everything, they found her but we don't know if we can actually get her back safely. We have a pretty good idea that she didn't just run away."

"This creep Chris had something to do with it… I just know it." Peyton thought back to when she had first met Chris at his CD store. "It's all my fault, he met Haley through me."

"Peyton. It's not your fault!" Lukas practically shouted. "Don't talk like that."

"Well it's not like standing out here is helping her at all. Let's go and try to find her ourselves." Peyton suggested and Jake nodded his head in agreement but Lukas shook his head violently.

"No. We can't leave. What if we hear from her? Or she comes back? We need to be here for her."

"But…" Peyton then had a brilliant idea. "We should split up. Brooke, you and Nathan can stay here and me and Jake can go look for her. We know she's in New York and I can'tjust stand here waiting."

"Okay. Let's go tell the others." The three walked up the stairs and saw Brooke and Nathan on the other sides of the room. "Peyton thinks we should split up."

"Good idea!" Nathan shouted.

"No way! We can't split up!" Brooke screamed back.

"Okay… seems like we have a problem." Lukas said as he sat down.

"Well, I'm leaving and that's final. I can't stand waiting here for her to call or show up or to hear from the police, I'm not helping at all here so I have to go look for her myself." Peyton said.

"I'm with you then." Nathan said as he stood up and grabbed his coat.

"I want to stay here. She might try to call and we will miss it. We are helping just by being here." Brooke said and crossed her legs.

"Well… it looks like we're half and half cause I want to stay." Lukas said. Jake then coughed and everyone looked at him.

"I'll go and help Nathan and Peyton. Is that alright?"

"Whatever." Brooke said and picked up the phone to call Felix and let him know what was going on. Lukas cringed as he saw her light up when she talked to him on the phone.

"Okay. Nathan, we're leaving!" Peyton yelled as she put on her shoes and grabbed her coat, Nathan shortly joined them and the three left. Brooke hung up the phone and sat down beside Lukas.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me."


	5. The Rescue

Haley James grabbed her bobby pin from her pants and tried to unlock the handcuffs. She was unsuccessful and dropped the pin to the ground when she heard noises from outside the locked door.

"Hello." Chris walked in, looking smug as always. "I brought you some food." Haley turned her face away from him. "I guess you don't want it. Listen, Haley I love you. You may think I'm crazy but I do. I love you more than anything and seeing you with Nathan would kill me and I don't want to hurt him or least of all you so this is the only thing that makes sense."

"Makes sense? Chris… you kidnapped me and you-" Haley was cut off by a kiss from Chris. "Get off me!" Chris looked hurt and walked off and slammed the door. Haley broke down and began to cry because she was really beginning to think that she would never be able to see Nathan or her friends again.

Peyton and Jake were sitting in the backseat as Nathan sped down the highway to get to the airport. Peyton had already called and booked three tickets for the next flight out and they had twenty minutes to get there.

_Okay, I know I don't pray often. I know I only pray in my time of need but this time it's Haley's time of need. I've loved her more than anything ever before. I love her more than life itself. She has to be okay. I don't think I could go on without her alive and well. God, if you bring her to me… I'll give her up. If I can see her one last time and know that she will be okay, I will move on with my life and let her move on with hers, I promise._

"Nathan? Turn!" Peyton screamed from the backseat interrupting his thoughts. "That's our exit!" Nathan quickly turned the wheel and screeched down the runway. He had made the exit and was off to the airport.

"Brooke… I know this is a horrible time to talk about this but… what's going on between us?"

"What do you mean? I think we're friends… aren't we?" Brooke looked at him and knew in her heart exactly what he was talking about. She felt it too, every single time she was around him and that is why she had to distance herself from him. The pain was unbearable at times.

"Oh… yeah. That's what I mean… and I'm glad we're friends Brooke." Lukas grinded his teeth and tried to smile. "I'm glad we're friends." He repeated softly.

"Me too." Brooke looked out the window and tried not to notice Lukas' eyes on her. Just then the phone rang, it was Peyton.

"Peyton?" Lukas yelled into the phone. "Where are you? Did you find Haley?"

"What? No… we just landed in New York though. Did you hear from her?"

"No. You're in New York?" Brooke looked at him with wide eyes.

"I can't believe I missed a trip to New York." Brooke sighed.

"Okay… Lukas, I have to let you go but… we're going to find her and I'll call you right away." Peyton said quietly. She hung up the phone and looked at Jake. He was so supportive through all of this.

"Is everything okay?" Jake asked.

"Yeah. Well, as okay as it ever is around here." Peyton looked down at her feet and finally they stopped driving. "Why did we stop?" Peyton looked around and Nathan smiled.

"Because we're here."


	6. The Hospital

Nathan, Peyton and Jake saw three police cars surrounding and building and ran as fast as they could to join them. Peyton was far behind Jake and Nathan. "Do we go in?" Jake asked Nathan.

"Yeah. Let's go!" Nathan yelled. They all started running again and Peyton started catching up and then five police officers came out of the building and one had Chris in handcuffs.

"Hey, Nathan, Peyton… how's it going?" He asked slimly.

"What the hell did you do to Haley?" Nathan started coming closer to him. "I'll kill you." The police officers put him into the police car before Nathan could threaten him even more. Peyton put her hand on his shoulder for comfort and then two more police officers came out with Haley.

"Haley!" Peyton screamed as she ran close towards her friend. "Are you okay?" Haley didn't even look like Haley. Her hair was messy and her face was pale and her clothes were ripped and torn. She looked like a wreck.

"Please step back miss. We are going to take her to the hospital to run some tests on her."

"Why? What happened?" Nathan asked. He stared at Haley but she kept on looking away. Something was really wrong with her.

"We will call you when you can come to the hospital." An ambulance then pulled up to the curb and Haley stepped inside still looking distraught. They drove off and left Peyton, Nathan and Jake confused and worried.

"They still haven't called Luke. What does that mean?" Brooke was pacing around the room worried for her friends.

"It means they just haven't found Haley yet. Sit down. You're making me nervous." Brooke sat down next to him and a tear drop fell down her cheek but she didn't say a word. "Brooke… it's going to be okay."

"How do you know?"

"Come here." Lukas put his arm around Brooke and tried to comfort her as she put her head on his shoulder and her tears soaked through his shirt. "Everything's alright."

"Lukas…" Brooke looked up at him with wide eyes. She looked so beautiful through the tears. "I-…" She looked down again. Lukas put one finger under her chin and slowly and gently lifted her head up again.

"Brooke..." Lukas leaned forward just a little bit and Brooke met him half way. They kissed gently at first but then the kiss grew more passionate and they new that this was the way things were meant to be. He slightly moved from his sitting position and laid her down on the couch with him on top of her and slowly took off her top and still kissing her passionately. Then the phone rang interrupting their kiss. Both of them looked at each other not wanting to answer it but then they decided they had to.

"Hello?" Brooke grabbed it that time.

"Brooke. We found Haley. She's at the Hospital in New York… how fast can you guys come here? We don't know what's wrong with her." Peyton said so fast Brooke could barely understand her.

"Oh my God. We'll be there as soon as we can!" Brooke put her top quickly on and stood up. "Lukas, we're going to New York. Haley's in the hospital!"


	7. It will be Alright

Everyone waited in the hospital for what seemed like days. No doctors would notify them on Haley's condition and they couldn't see her. They really had nothing to do but wait… wait for her to die, or live… they didn't even know what was wrong with her. Finally, a doctor approached them with a look of concern on her face.

"Is there a Mr. Scott here?" Lukas and Nathan both looked up but then Lukas backed up realizing it was for Nathan.

"Yes. I'm her husband. Is she okay?"

"Well… she is… she will be… she was… she was-"

"What? What happened to her?" Brooke yelled. Soon other patients in the hospital were staring at the group. The doctor called Nathan to the side and spoke very quietly.

"Nathan, Haley was raped."

Haley sat up in her bed. Everyone man she saw was staring at her in such a strange way, what did they want from her? She felt gross and helpless. She was just sitting in bed staring at the white wall. She was fine but she didn't feel fine. She felt violated and sick.

"Mrs. Scott, is it alright if you see your husband now?" Haley could barely even speak. She didn't want to see anyone… she didn't want anyone to see her. She just nodded slowly. If only she could escape from here, she didn't want to see Nathan's face. She didn't want to see any man's face.

"Hale's, how are you baby?" Nathan said as casually as possible. He sat down on the bed and she flinched. He backed up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Haley's eyes started streaming, what was happening to her? She couldn't even stand to be close to her husband. She could see the pain in Nathan's eyes to see her like this. He slowly backed up and turned around. "I'm sorry Nathan."

"It's okay. We can get through this."

"No. I don't want to get through anything. I don't want to be in a relationship. I don't want to be married."

"What? What are you saying? Haley, you have just been through a horribly traumatic experience and so it's not making sense to you right now. Don't worry, we'll figure this all out."

"No. I want out. I'm sorry. I do."

"Okay." Nathan walked out of the room and thought about his last prayer. In order to save Haley, he would give her up. I guess she made that decision for him. What was he going to do now?

Haley was brought back to Peyton's house for the time being and then eventually she would have a place of her own. All of her things were moved out of Nathan's place. It has been six weeks since the hospital and Haley had been improving a lot. She had been going to different programs and speaking with different rape victims and counselors.

"Peyton?"

"I'm in the bedroom!" Peyton shouted. She was moving heavy boxes across the floor and bending over when Jake walked in.

"Do that again!" He joked.

"Right… perve." Peyton laughed. "Can you pass me those boxes?"

"These ones?" Peyton just nodded and Jake passed them over. She had been frantically moving boxes for the past few weeks for Haley. Haley was comfortable sitting outside in the fresh air. Brooke and Lukas constantly came over to visit and Nathan tried a dozen times but Peyton sadly told him every time that Haley didn't want to see him.

"Alright. Kissing time. We've been working too hard." Peyton ran up to Jake and they kissed. It had been a horrible six weeks and they just needed each other to get through it. Brooke was back with Felix and never told him about her and Lukas. Lukas still pined over Brooke and Nathan pined over Haley. Everything was a mess.

"Alright, so that's the four o clock flight right?... okay great and that's the last one?" Nathan was on the phone to the airport. He had been on hold for four hours. "Awesome. Thanks so much for your help." Nathan hung up the phone and looked around his empty apartment. It was so different now that Haley was out of his life. Was this for the best? He hardly believed so but that was his promise to God… her life for his. He had already spoken with her parents and they agreed that she should come up with them for a while. Haley didn't know yet but Nathan would take her to the airport that night. Of course it was supposed to rain and so he prayed everything would go smoothly. The only thing worse then his death was seeing her miserable.

"Nathan." Lukas had opened the door because it was unlocked but Nathan hadn't even noticed.

"Hey man. Sorry, I'm a little out of it."

"Nathan… have you slept at all?"

"A little bit, here and there. It's hard to go back to sleeping alone. Sometimes I wake up and… never mind." Nathan laughed at himself.

"And what?" It was Brooke now, followed by Peyton.

"What are you all doing here?"

"We thought you could use a friend… or three." Peyton smiled and hugged him.

"Thanks guys. Haley needs…"

"Jake's over there. She's sleeping and so we all agreed it would be a good time to visit you." Brooke simply stated. "What were you going to say about sleeping?"

"Just that some nights, I'll wake up and forget she's gone. I'll roll over and then realize… she's not there anymore."

Everyone was quiet.

"Anyway… as long as she's alright." Nathan tried to smile but in his heart… he was crying.

"Did you get her on the flight?" Peyton wondered.

"Yeah. It's all settled. I'll pick her up in an hour. Will she be ready by then?"

"Sure. I better get back then and help her pack. It's going to be okay, Nathan." Peyton tried to be strong but she wasn't so sure.

That night, it was raining as planned. Nathan was there promptly at two. Her flight was leaving in two hours. Haley quietly got in the car. Haley and Nathan hadn't spoken for six weeks. It was unbearable and Nathan turned on the radio instead of hearing the silence. Silence was actually very loud because all he could hear was his heart. So many times we wanted to tell her he loved her, tell her he missed her, tell her he needed her but he stopped himself. Finally, they arrived at the airport. Haley finally looked at Nathan and sighed.

"Thanks. I can go in myself."

"No. I want to walk you in and see the plane off."

"No. You can't get in without a ticket anyway. I'll be fine. I'll call Peyton as soon as I get there anyway."

"Well I can get you through security. Come on, please."

"Um… okay. Then you'll let me go?"

"Yes." Nathan got her to security and watched her go through safely. He wanted to see the plane take off but she was right… they wouldn't let him in without a ticket anyway. He slowly walked back to his car. How long would she be gone for? When would he see her again? Would he ever see her again?

The drive back home was all too quick and he didn't even remember getting out of his car and walking up to his house. That night, he got no sleep. Finally at six in the morning, he fell asleep. A deep sleep. He had a beautiful dream… about him and Haley. When they first spoke to one another. She tutoring him and he acing his first math test. Then their wedding day. This dream was so much better than reality. He wished he would never wake up. A few years down the road, if he never did see Haley again… what would happen? Would he ever get over her? Would he be able to move on? Will he ever love again?


	8. Unbelievable

Two weeks and three days went by. The slowest days of Nathan's life. He missed her so much. Where was she? Was she okay? Was she happy? Nathan knew the moment they found her, she would somehow disappear again. But this was much better, she was safe. He made a promise after all, if she can live, he would give her up.

"Can I come in?" Nathan just nodded slowly. He didn't even bother turning around. Peyton had been constantly coming over because she was scared he was suicidal.

"Nathan, how are you today? Want some coffee?"

"No. I'm fine." Nathan finally turned around and saw Peyton. Her blonde curly hair reaching her shoulders and her look of disappointment when he didn't want to join her for a cup of coffee.

"Oh. . . okay. Well do you want me to bring you back something?"

"Nah. I'm fine here. I'm not hungry." Nathan was starving. He hadn't eaten in a couple days. Peyton practically force fed him on Thursday night but now it was Saturday.

"Okay. Well, just call if you need anything." Peyton walked out and Nathan sat down. What a long life this would be. The worst part of it all was not hearing about her or seeing her. Perhaps it was less painful that way though. To be living life seeing her miserable everyday.

"Felix. . . can you pass me that magazine over there?" Brooke was lying down on her couch. She had been getting over the whole Haley thing rather quickly. It didn't affect her like it did the rest. Luke and Peyton were Haley's best friends and Nathan loved her more than life herself. She was an outsider in a way because Haley was cool but she never felt that tight with her.

"Don't you miss her at all?" Felix asked. "I mean you haven't seen her in almost three weeks. Everyone else is heartbroken and sad and you're not."

"What do you want me to do? Cry day and night because Haley isn't in town? It's not the end of the world. I mean she's safe, isn't she? She's with her parents. She's traveling around Europe. Life's sweet for her right now. Why should I feel sorry for her?"

"You're unbelievable." Lukas said. He had walked in and heard the whole speech. Brooke looked up in horror. She hadn't thought about it like that. Was she being unreasonable?

"Will Nathan ever get over this?" Jake asked Peyton when she got home that night.

"I hope so. I mean it will take time. A long time. A really long time. I really hope he can move on. I mean of course he will always love her but he has to get on with his life. He's not even twenty yet."

"I know what you mean. Have you heard of her recently?"

"Yes. Today she called. She's doing a lot better. She has a family friend who specializes in these sort of things and she's improving day after day. She asked about Nathan and told me not to mention I talked to her. It's weird. Nathan always asks and I always say no but I mean I'm lying to the guy. I feel awful."

"Haley cares about him. I doubt she would purposely try to hurt him. She's probably trying to protect him. Maybe she is helping him get over her."

"I guess so." Peyton looked deep in Jake's eyes and kissed him. The past few weeks have been so hectic and worrisome, they had no time for each other. That was all she wanted that night.


End file.
